The Verdant Lady. A title bestowed upon the matriarchs of Gangbyeon succeeded by descendants of Yongsoli queens, who once ruled wisely over the eastern plains of this land called Hoshikuni of today, or back then … Sekaigan by Ryuken, Shijielu by Lhongzie, and Segyeoja by Yongsoli as told in Heishita, Longhua, and Shingeul tongue respectively.
Through various interpretations, history could be seen as many. The Day of the Shattered Sun was said to be a horrific time for the three kingdoms once stood as the pillars of this land, yet to the people caught in their war, it was but a blessing that paved the way for a new beginning albeit at the cost of the hero who carved said path. For the people of today, however, it became no more than an era forgotten by the masses.
Perhaps that was why the spirits huddled themselves within nature and rarely entered this land’s thirty-eight districts. What once was a mystical land almost equal to that of the Irdjayan Archipelago, now became the shadow cast by magic’s and technology’s heavenly rays. However, as a vow passed down from matriarch to matriarch, Gangbyeon would forever reject them. The glory of the past might never return, but their arts and beauties as well as the yokkaebi’s grace shall persist to the everlonging future.
So, why … Why were you cursed by its gift?
Ji-Hye looked up to the twin moons after a time of meditation accompanied by her six gumihos, who each surrounded the pond in front of them and sang forth a sweet lullaby. The moons’ reflection ceased to be and a scene appeared from somewhere else. A group of people gathered in a hidden location here in Gangbyeon, where the stone-tiled floor and roof looked wet and damp and full of algae both blue and green, with roaches crawling and rats scurrying below their worn out chairs and tables, and the rushing canal flowing nearby.
“It’s hopeless,” the thick bearded man said. “That guy was right. We should’ve never had our business in Gangbyeon. All our stores have been rooted out and our operations shut down in less than a month.”
“And just when we thought we'd evaded her, that Verdant Lady,” the woman with an eyepatch added, slamming her fist into the table. “What fools we were. Gather the men and get ready to depart. We have to leave before Gangbyeon’s forces discover us.”
Ji-Hye placed the tip of her finger into the pool. “Unfortunately, we already know where you are.”
“Who said that?!” the long-haired man bellowed. Their cautious faces switched to utter bewilderment, putting up their guard while cluelessly looking left and right for the source of the voice which they heard.
“Do surrender. It’ll make my job easier,” Ji-Hye once more spoke, cranking up their alertness by three decibels.
“Shit! Shit! She knows we’re here. We have to leave!”
“Forget the product. Just go.
What a pity, Ji-Hye thought, having hoped for them to heed her warnings and turn themselves in. It was the only path offered which would result in mercy. Alas, what a shame. These people of the Tenjiyu Family should’ve known what it meant to enter Gangbyeon with malicious intentions.
“Bbalgan,” she called the red-tailed gumiho. “You know what to do.”
The red-tailed gumiho dove into the pool and emerged on the other side, rising from water canals in the form of a foxman with his face covered in a sheet. Bbalgan’s sudden appearance took the two and those around them by surprise, as they magnanimously fought to eliminate the intruder.
Arrows flew and magic conjured, a myriad of colors seen through the pond’s reflection, showered by the trembling sounds of metals and explosions. And just when they thought they were in the clear, when they thought the intruder in question had been annihilated, the dust settled and showed Bbalgan’s visage unharmed in the slightest.
“You dare to go against me!” his shout fractured the ground and sent the entire force on their knees, heads glued to the floor. The weak-willed, however, could not stand the screeching tune which they heard and instead became incapacitated. As for the strong-willed, those who managed to break through the initial shout and raised their heads …
“Impertinent fools.”
Heads rolled on the cold stone floor, detached from the warm bodies which they held so dear to them, reaped by the demonic scythe which Bbalgan now held. Freaked out, a bunch decided to ran off only to be met by the crimson-stained blade.
“What the—AHHHH!!!”
“My legs … they’re gone!”
“Help me! Help m—AAGGGHH!!!”
“Please have mercy.”
“We’ll give you whatever you want.”
“No, don’t … please …”
A song was played. A Song of Blood which delved into the very essence of what it meant to be The Wrathful One, for while he had culled those which denied him, rage continued to persist due to the absence of satisfaction.
And thus, entered the second verse, and these strong-willed people shall know not of death, as their eyes constantly moved left, right, top, and bottom in an attempt to comprehend what had just happened. Every fiber of their muscles jolted, alas moving was but a futile dream. The same went for speaking, but not for hearing nor smelling nor tasting. Those three remained, yet such a merciful blessing could only turn out as a curse for them. Their thoughts plagued by the agonizing pain of beheading and the insanity cultivated from not dying to it, as a playful wicked smile permeated upon the red-tailed gumiho.
Satisfaction attained, but what was next? Who else demanded the presence of he who only knew wrath? Geomjeong, the black-tailed gumiho, played a song. A blanket of nihilism wrapped itself around his brother, demeaning his purposeful existence into nothingness, as Noran, the yellow-tailed gumiho then entered the pond to pick Bblagan up as well as the those whom he culled.
The Song of Blood ended and the Song of Collection began. Finally, the deathless ones faced true death. The threads which attached their souls to their bodies severed and their essences floated upwards before slowly heading to the ground, only to be captured by the golden lantern which Noran held. It sucked the souls and turned them into fire, each burning a unique color for the Greedy One to fawn over, stored inside the pocket dimension he kept inside his robes.
As for the survivors …
“Chae-Won,” she called one of her maids. “Have our forces come and arrest these criminals. Paran shall show them the way.” The blue-tailed gumiho walked up to the maid and leapt onto the top of her head.
“As you wish, Mistress Yun,” the maid walked away alongside Paran, disappearing into the corridors of the estate, where Ji-Hye and the rest of the gumihos walked the opposite way.
Another day of hardship. Ji-Hye released a sigh. The arrogance shown by both the Ryuken and Lhongzie showed no signs of subsiding. Time and time again, they came to reap what belonged to her. Whether it’d be from this past month or back in the Kingdom Era. The Yongsoli were no exception and their disappearance could be said as a fortune, as more and more yokkaebis came to Gangbyeon these nights.
Dark-winged tengus hanging out on rooftops, flaming bulges prowling on the streets, and the occasional sightings from Yongs—eastern dragons within the deepwater canals flowing throughout the whole city. It took over five-hundred-years to get to this point. Five-hundred long painstaking years to redeem a land fitting for these magnificent beings similar yet entirely different from the stories which portrayed them.
“My Lady,” Chorok, the green-tailed gumiho spoke. “I must remind you that time is ticking. The period of our contract is almost coming to an end.”
“I know,” Ji-Hye replied, not worrying one bit, for while it might seem that she didn’t have time, in truth it was the opposite. The seemingly immortal yokkaebi perceive time differently. What was considered a short while to them would be considered a century for humans. “That’s quite unlike you. I would’ve expected this from Noran.”
“I’m simply taking his place for the time being. An attempt which I shall not make again,” her stride continued in silence.
Geomjeong then said, “How perplexing. Never in my years have I expected one of us to be a victim of change.”
“Change is inevitable,” told Ji-Hye. “Whether you’re a short-lived mortal or a long-lived one, no one could evade the passage of time. Not even you who detest the idea very much.”
“A challenge I’ve readily taken on ever since our souls were splintered by the Lord of Virtue. A stain which I for one shall not stand by and watch,” the black-tailed kitsune transformed into his human form and grabbed Chorok by the neck. He then whispered in a few words of which incurred a familiar expression upon Chorok, who spat at Geomjeong before vanishing to mist. “And now it’s taken care of.”
“Dear brother of mine,” Bora, the violet-tailed gumiho, spoke. “While we consider you as our leader, do not forget that sowing discord between us may only set us back by ten centuries.”
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“So, you’ve changed as well.”
“No, no. I’ve never changed. For why should I change when I myself is already perfect?” he said, flamboyantly. “I’ve simply learned more just as our gluttonous brother used to in days past. And to that end, a certain peace must be kept until the day when we shall be reunited. That is what you want, no?”
The two stared at each other. One grinning wide, the other biting his tongue. In the end, what Bora said, Geomjeong could argue against, keeping his silence and in turn admitting his error.
“Best to temper that hate of yours. Otherwise, we’ll be in more trouble than we already are,” he said. “Now then, I shall hurry off to retrieve our dear brother from his tantrum. Be sure to bestow on me all which you have for my prized action.”
“It will be done,” Ji-Hye nodded.
“Good to know.” And the violet-tailed gumiho vanished, leaving Ji-Hye with Geomjeong, who seemed disinterested in talking at the moment. That was until Ji-Hye took a turn, which sent Geomjeong to a curious state. “How rare of you. I don’t recall you having any business with her at the moment?”
“Is business needed when it comes to meeting family?” she asked back, heading toward an area behind the estate secluded by bamboo walls like outside, yet black in hue like the one accompanying her and the one who approached her from within.
A small candle light flickered, dimly illuminating the veiled figure holding it in a literal sense, as hot wax dripped into his hand, causing more burns present on his scarred skin, yet never once did he voice any complaints nor discomfort as if he was dull to the pain. And that he was. A man who could not feel pain throughout his whole body. A unique constitution only a few was born with.
He led them into the bamboo forest. Fireflies appeared the further in they were as well as joseung sajas, reapers who wandered the grounds for near-death souls to take. Their appearance was the frame or the inspiration for which the man dressed and stood as. They who held death so close to them would soon no longer seek to avoid it. Such were the lessons instilled upon these men and women in black, whom Ji-Hye and her predecessors trained to become the most elite of Gangbyeon’s troops.
At the end of the path was an old house devoid of care. Weeds grew to untold lengths, mushrooms stuck themselves upon walls, and tiles seen missing from the seemingly once beautifully handcrafted rooftop with carved edges that spiraled inwards into serpents, illuminated solely by the twin moons’ gleam of both grace and haunt.
Back during her childhood days, this place was a temple, or rather its insides were. Who knew for what reason did her ancestors have to disguise it as an ordinary house? Although now, having succeeded the title of Verdant Lady and governess of Gangbyeon, Ji-Hye knew exactly why.
The veiled man put out the candle flame with his fingers and proceeded to open the door. Inside was a room larger than what the outside suggested. An expanded space blessed by a trickster deity of a long forgotten tale. They must be a prominent figure for their blessing to persist after centuries of this building’s existence.
Alas, its outside appearance was reflected in its inside with how worn out and depraved the entire room looked, including the sands of the training area which had warmed in hue. However, none mattered for the training location for the special forces had since been moved to the main estate. They who now slumbered within the rows of coffins made out of willows. The man who guided them too returned to his coffin and closed the lid akin to the vampires of skadjӧrdian mythos.
“You hide your desires well,” Geomjeong suddenly praised. “but now that we’re here, it becomes ever more clear. You and I both know this is a risky endeavour which might come to betray you.”
“It won’t. My gambles have always bore fruit up to this day,” she said. “and I have no intention to lose what I’m willing to bet on, as I did when I made a contract with you and your brothers.”
“We are not as strong as our glorious days and our memories remain ever so fragmented since the telltale days when humanity raised their blades and mystics against us. Looking back, it was futile to fight back, knowing who supported them. Our corporeal form shattered and we, who were once one, became nine. No matter how much you plead for our power, it is no short but an insignificant dream which shall never be realized despite how much we yearned for it.
“The only reason we remain contracted to you is because you provide us with the most insatiable stories that align with the very concepts instilled within us. We love you, Ji-Hye Yun. We love your every being, love every facet of your ideals and the emotions you try to hide behind that cold playful exterior. We love your goals, so much so that we desperately love for you to fail, for that is a story yet to be told. So, why not give it a try, failing that is? Fulfill our love … my love born from hate …”
Ji-Hye ignored him and his superficial taunts. They never worked back when they first met nor did they work at this moment of crux, where the possibility of one of her goals succeeding to be at an all time high.
“Let’s go,” she said, coming up to a screen door, which led to a winding set of stairs leading down. And at the end of it was a screen door with numerous seals in place. “No outbursts … I guess six is the right number.”
It’d been a long while since she last visited. However, it’d been decades since she truly last saw her. That joyful smile which once shined radiantly upon the garden which she worked so hard to tend despite never needing to, and the smiles which once had her father and mother sent to utter bliss, as everyone danced around the courtyard in loving harmony.
Then that day came when her sister reached twelve-year-old.
Ji-Hye recalled the moment when she first stepped inside the estate after a trip to the market. The once lively estate turned barren and ghostly, ceasing to be the place of home which had so vividly existed inside her memories. All of that, gone in an instant, as Ji-hye and her escort guards then ran throughout the empty halls and corridors for any signs of a person—anyone who could explain the situation.
Then all of a sudden, mages came storming through the gates and began searching the palace grounds. Ji-Hye tried to keep them away, but who would listen to the pleas of a fifteen-year-old, who’d just entered adulthood. The same went for the guards of Gangbyeon could not do anything, but watch as the home of their masters was ransacked by invaders. And those who tried to fight back got restrained in place by various kinds of magic.
There was really no use. Ji-Hye knew that, but she still didn’t give up. There must be something they were seeking here in the estate. Perhaps the staffs’ disappearance was something they had to do with. To be able to evade her mother’s eyes, the ones leading them must be the cunning type. And so, Ji-Hye hastily searched every nook and cranny for what the mages must be searching, though she had no idea where to start, thus she tried to look for her family.
If they’re not here then they must be in the temple, she thought, immediately entering the bamboo forest and into the house-looking temple. Upon entering, Ji-Hye found neither her mother nor father, but her sister crying in the corner beneath the fox statue’s gaze. She appeared to be distraught and no words from Ji-hye could get through the walls her sister had seemingly put up. There was only one word that she uttered.
“I’m sorry … I’m sorry … I’m sorry …”
The thread containing Ji-Hye’s memories became thin after that. She remembered screaming and fighting against someone, only for her to fail and be knocked out, with the last remaining image being her sister taken away by mages in pure white robes.
How cruel of them … to take the sister whom she so loved as well as their parents, who did not return since that day nor did the rest of the estate staff who were on shift during that bright sunny day which turned bleak gray in no less than five minutes. Those five horrible minutes which Ji-Hye once harboured to exact vengeance on those who destroyed her life cause a turmoil upon Gangbyeon’s livelihood.
Until she learned the truth …
“Once more, I ask. Are you sure about this?”
“I am,” Ji-Hye said with no hesitation.
“Then … utter my name,” he said. “Not the name which you granted us nor the name of the role which we have taken. Our true name which I had given you on the day you broke that statue and freed me, and I rewarded you with my contract.”
“Of course ⎕⎕⎕⎕⎕⎕.”
What was a yokkaebi? It was a being who dwelled in the realm of in-between, the heavens which everyone so famously knew, yet what resided over there was nothing more than a blank slate devoid of any semblance of human concept. Only until they began navigating and piercing through the veil did the blank slate become riddled with colors which shaped themselves into a place of home—a domain for the yokkaebi, as the concept of ‘living’ was instilled upon them as did many other concepts like ‘beauty’ and ‘desire’. Alas, those concepts were fixed to forms they took and could not break through the ‘frame’ which they’d given to themselves. That was, unless there was a vessel willing to open the doors of a new possibility.
On the surface of pure water, a glistening pool extending far beyond the untold horizons, where only floating lotuses grew and soon bloomed, Ji-Hye stood before the entrance domain of her contracted yokkaebis. A tall ornate gate sealed by two chains, whereupon its surface was the image of a nine-tailed fox, the insignia of the Yongsoli Kingdom and the role which He played as. Entering the domain was a fruitless endeavour, for the seals inlaid could never be pierced by ordinary means, blocking off those who sought entry, including its own owner, who suddenly ran up to her from behind and wrapped his arms over her violet eyes.
“Do not look,” he said, speaking softly like the clouds of this sunless sky and the calm reflectionless pool extending into the horizons. “Here in the world you call the heavens, I appear as my truth. And while I am indeed fragmented, you will know no sanity should you gaze upon me, my dear contractor.”
“Then may I ask a favor?” she asked.
“You have and I have already granted you that favor,” he said. “Open your senses … your soul to that which cannot be normally seen. Have you realized it? The actions of my ‘brother’ in accordance with the favor you have asked us to do?”
A little more focus and Ji-Hye could see herself undoing the seal, blocking a torrent of waves which brashly clashed against the song she sang.
“His Song of Nihility will come to an end and so too shall your visit.”
“This was the intention. I have no reason to stay in a place where you could be erased and reborn every nightfall.”
“‘Night’ doesn’t exist here.”
“Forgive me, but this place is far more puzzling than any I’ve been through.”
“To us, your world is far more bizarre,” —While unable to see his face, Ji-Hye felt a smile permeating upon him. Genuine in this world of transient blue— “Will you come visit again?”
“Only when the need arises.”
“I see … Then travel safely, contractor.”
“Goodbye for now, Heuin.”
Ji-Hye opened her eyes and saw what became of the one behind the door. Her sister, Soon-Bok Yun, rested on the floor with Geomjeong looming over her body. Ji-Hye went to check on her sister’s face. A face similar to hers, only torn up by years of being stuck in that horrendous place. Darkness surrounded her violet eyes that could no longer produce tears, with limbs that trembled even when put in an unconscious state.
“It’s alright, Soon-Bok. It’s alright. No one will hurt you. No one will force you,” Ji-Hye whispered with both care and caution, for anything could be a trigger for her sister who’d been through so much and who could no longer understand the meaning of rest and reassurance.
“She might be harmless for now,” Geomjeong spoke in an urgent tone. “but once she wakes up …”
“She’ll be a danger to everyone again. I know that. That’s why I have this.”
From her pocket, Ji-Hye took out a vial of golden liquid. The Divine Droplet drug which had been circulating throughout Hoshikuni as a dangerous illegal drug which had destroyed the lives of its users. Certainly, it would be foolish to ingest it without knowing the ingredients, but after countless interrogations, the secret which the Tenjiyu Family had been keeping secret was finally revealed to Ji-Hye.
There was nothing ‘divine’ about this drug. In fact, it stemmed so far from it. A machination of the devil who came up with its invention and production. Everything became clear once the secret was discovered, and that exact discovery was the reason why Ji-Hye was willing to take the risk. It might be a poison to most, but to her sister … It could be a cure.
At least a temporary one.
Ji-Hye had already forsook her morals upon taking up the mantle of the Verdant Lady. Morality was unnecessary for a family head to wield. Her taking care of her sister, helping her drink the vial of golden liquid in an effort to alleviate her symptoms, was by no means a sign of affection, but a means to an end.
That girl who once smiled radiantly in the garden no longer existed, as did the studious girl in the estate corridors who received it.